Clock striking mechanism



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. T. KEIL. CLOCK STRIKING MBGHANISM.

No. 429,455. PatentedJun@ 3, 1890.

Mlllllllly (N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

, G. T. KEIL. CLOCK lSJTRIKING MBGHANISM.

No. 429,455. Patented June 3, 1890.

@lm/Macaw 6%.@ km2. @a f W0 551? f4 akllofam* 7 veating post.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. KEIL, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CLOCK STRIKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION fonnng part of Letters Patent No. 429,455, dated. June 3, 1890.

Application filed September 4, 1889.

To alZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE T. KEIL, aoitizen of the German Empire, residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Striking Attachments for Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improve ments in striking attachments for clocks, in which the starting, striking', and stopping arms are operated by a vertically-reciprocating spring-actuated post carrying a reciprocating sleeve; and the objects of theimprovement are, first, to provide a device that shall be simple in construction, effective in operation, and which can be readily attached to any striking clock mechanism; second, to reduce the friction of the several arms to a minimum degree, an d, third, to provide means whereby the attachment may be readily and quickly detached for repairs without removing either the face or back plate of the frame supporting the clock mechanism. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichm Figure l represents a front elevation of a part of the ordinary clock mechanism, with the face-plate removed, showing my improvelnent connected therewith. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line o; o@ of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation with a portion of the back plate broken away to show the pivoted foot ot' the reciprocating post. Fig. et is a perspective view of my improvement detached. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig, 6 is a detail view showing the slotted guide-plate within which the stopping-arm operates. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the journal-bearings of the recipro- Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, in which- The letterA indicates the face-plate and B the back plate of the frame supporting the clock mechanism.

C indicates the post carrying the hands, and is provided at its rear end with pins o and c', arranged diametrically opposite each other.

D is the lock-wheel and E the starting- Serial No. 322,953. (No model.)

wheel, both of which wheels are of the usual pattern, the Wheel E being provided with a pin e, the purpose of which will presently appear.

F indicates the striker, which is secured to the shaft f, journaled in bearings made in the face and back plates, respectively, and is provided with an arm f, which engages the pins g on the striking-wheel G, mounted on the shaft g. A spring f2 serves to return the striker to its normal position after the striking operation has been completed. A

Journaled in bearings H and IVI', made in the back plate of the frame, is a vertical post I, provided at its lower end with a pivoted foot-piece t', held in normal position by a spring t, one end of which is fastened to the foot z' and the other or free end resting on the post proper. A spring J surrounds the upper end of the post between the shoulder 'Z2 and the bearing II, and serves to return the post to its normal position after it has been raised by either the pin c or c. Attached to the post I, near its lower end, is an arm K, provided with a bent-up end Ze, which engages the pin e on the rwheel E, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

A sleeve L, provided with an upper arm Z and a lower arm Z, is mounted on the post I. The lower end of said sleeve is slotted at Z2, and the arm K extends through said slot about midway of its length, so that when the post I is being raised by either of the pins c or c the arm K will reach the upper end of the slot when the post has moved about half of the required distance, it being understood that the sleeve moves but one-half of the distance that the post moves. The arm Z extends beyond the shaft g2, and is bent downward and provided with an inwardly-bent end Z3, which engages successively the slots CZ in the stop-wheel D, and the arm Z with a bent-up end Z4, which engages the cam-shaped slot m in a stop-plate wheel M. A guideplate @j serves to retain the arm Z in proper position.

The bearing II is slotted at its front end to allow the lower journal of the post to be slipped in place after the upper journal has been inserted. A pin h serves to confine the journal in position.

The operation of the device is as follows:

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Assuming the eloel; to be running, when the hour approaches one of the pins c or c will be directly under the pivoted foot-piece ot the post l, and as the minute-hand reaches l) the pin c or c will raise the post and arm K, which is attached thereto. Yhen the arm K reaches the upper end of the slot Z2, the sleeve and its arms will be carried up with the post until the respective ends ot said ro arms are out of engagement with the eamshaped slot in the stop-plate wheel Iii and the deep slot in the stopavheel l). As soon as this is accomplished, the bent-up end of the arm K engages thepin c of the starting-wheel,

checks its movement vfor an instant, the pin c or c passes the pivoted foot-piece, releasing the post, which is forced down to its normal position by the spring J, and the striking begins, during which operation the sleeve, by

zo the continued action ot the pin c or c', is caused to reciprocate vertically on the post until the end l? ol' the arm l drops into the next advancing deep slot d ot' the stop-wheel D, and the end Zl ot' the arm l drops into thY cam-shaped slot oi the stop-plate wheel Eil.

lf only the hour is required to be struck, but one pin c or c' will be required. When both are used, one is t'or striking the halthour.

3o If at any time the clock should strike the wrong hour, all that is required to cause it to strike the right hour is to give the post car- .rying the hands a short turn to the lett su ttieient to allow one of the pins c or c to pass the pivoted foot-piece, the spring action peri mitting this to be done, and then a slight turn to the right, repeating the operation until the correct hour has been struck.

It will be observed that the device is so 4o constructed and arranged that it can be readily applied to the so-called French clocks by changing the position of the post l to the outside of the frame and slightly modifying the construction ot' K l l and their relative arrangement. In tact, it is applicable to almost every variety of clocks and to repeat ing-watches. requires no adjustment in applying it, and the cost is but small as compared with the old 5o cumbersome allair generally in use.

Having thus t'ully described my invention, what I claim as ne and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a clock mechanism, ot avertically-reciprocating spring-actuated post having an arm for engaging the starting-wheel and carrying a sleeve having an arm engaging the stop-platewhcel and an arm engaging the loch-wheel, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a clock mechanism, of a vertically-reciprocating post journaled in suitable bearings and provided with an arm engaging the starting-wheel, a spring for returning said post to itsnormal position, a sleeve mounted on said post and provided It is easily applied or detached,

with an upper arm engaging with the lockplate wheel and a lower arm engaging the leclewheel, and means Afor reciprocating the post, substantially as specified.

The combination, with a clock mechanism, of a vertically-reciprocating spring-actuated post carrying an arm for engaging the starting-wheel and provided with a springactuated pivoted toot-piece, a vertically-re ciproeating sleeve mounted on the aforesaid post and carrying an arm engaging' the lock plate wheel and another arm engaging the lock-wheel, and means for reciprocating said post and sleeve, substantially as specified.

T. The combination, with the vertically-recilirocating post having an engaging-arm and a sleeve mounted on said post and carrying upper and lower arms, of the startii1g-\vheel provided with a pin to engage the post-arm, the stop-plate wheel provided with a camshaped slot to engage the upper sleeve-arm, the leek-wheel provided with slots for receiving the end of the lower sleeve-arm, and means t'or operating said post, substantially as speciiied.

5. The combination, with the vertically-re eiproeating post having an engaging-arm and provided with a pivoted spring-actuated footpiece, and a sleeve mounted on said post and carrying an upper and a lower engaging-arm, ot' the starting-wheel provided with apin for engaging the post-arm, the lock-plate wheel provided with a cam-shaped slot for engaging` the upper sleeve-arm, the lock-wheel provided with slots to be enga-ged by the lower sleeve-arm, the post C, and pin c t'or reciprocating the post l, substantially as specified.

(i. in a. clock mechanism, the combination of the vertically-reciprocating post, its engaging-arms and pivoted foot-piece, the reciprocating sleeve and its engaging arms, and means for reciprocating said post and sleeve, substantially as specified.

7. in a clock mechanism, the combination ot the vertically-reciprocating spring-actuated post provided with an arm to engage a pin on the starting-wheel and having a pivoted springactuated iootpiece, a sleeve mounted on said post, said sleeve slotted to receive the post-arm, and provided with an upper arm to engage a slotted stop plate wheel and a lower arm to engage a slotted stop-wheel, and means tor reciprocating said post and sleeve, substantially as specified.

S. rl`he combination, with the meehanismot a clock, ot' the post I i, journalcd in suitable bearings, the springs Y el', the arm K 7.-., the sleeve L Z2, carrying the arms WZ ll, the guide y, the post C, and pins c and c', substantially as specified.

in testimony whereof I aliix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. KEIL.

lvitnesses:

J. R. NoTTiNcIfiAn, E. M. BoTELnt-z.

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